Born in 1881 at Poplar, son of Alexander (Writer and Gilder) and Mary Webster. 1891: A Scholar with his family at 44 Howard Road, Plaistow. 1901: He was with his older brother Charles, a Trooper in the Imperial Yeomanry at Blenheim Barracks Farnborough Hampshire. His parents were living without their children at 15 Maybank Cottages, Maybank Road, South Woodford. In 1908 he married Jane Speedy. 1911: A House Painter with his wife and 6 month old son Alexander at 4 Cavendish Villas, Ashford Road, South Woodford.
Hill 60 was really a low rise on the southern flank of the Ypres Salient, named for the 60 metre contour which marked its bounds. It wasn't a natural hill, but created by the soil removed whilst constructing the nearby railway line. The hill had been captured by the Germans on 10th December 1914 from French forces. During the race for the sea, it was obvious the hill had to be retaken.
A great deal of the fighting around Hill 60 was underground as can be seen today by various memorials. The British had immediately begun tunnelling a number of mines beneath the hill, and by April 1915 twenty one mines had been completed.
At 19:00 on 17th April 1915 those mines were detonated, demolishing a large part of the hill and killing many German soldiers occupying the trenches. Such was the effect of these mines that the British Battalions suffered only 7 casualties when advancing and occupying what remained of the German trench system.
However, while a German counter-attack succeeded in recapturing the hill, a counter-counter-attack allowed the British to regain possession on 18th April 1915. It was during this fighting that William Webster was Killed in Action.
Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian
Principal Sources:
Ancestry.com
Regimental Histories.